Mae wins a cruise, Freemasonry wins a new member
Mae and her partner had never been on holiday outside the UK and it was her birthday – What a fabulous prize!
Paul Bearman PPGStwd 2023 writes:
On the 15th June 2024, the annual 2025 Festival Ball was held at the Macure Great Danes Hotel, Maidstone. Attended by our Provincial Grand Master Neil Hamilton Johnstone and his wife, Margaret, the evening was a tremendous occasion, raising £20,000 in aid of the 2025 Festival.
Monies raised go to the Masonic Charitable Foundation, MCF . Helping and supporting Freemasons and their families, along with many charitable organisations across the Country.
Part of the evening’s celebrations, is the annual grand draw, a prize donated by a company, for which we in East Kent are truly grateful. The prize this year, was a week’s cruise to the Norwegian Fjords. Drawn by the Provincial Grand Master, aided by his wife Margaret, but who won?
The Winner Was: MAE BONNER
The winning ticket was drawn at the event and won by a guest, Mae Bonner. We quickly discovered that Mae and her partner had never been on holiday outside the UK and it was her birthday! What a fabulous prize.
Mae wrote a fantastic journal of her time onboard the ship.
Here is a very brief overview.
Overview: A seven-night cruise on P&O’s Iona, filled with exploration, relaxation, and celebration.
Day 1: Embarkation Arrived in Southampton, boarded Iona, settled into the cabin, explored the ship, enjoyed a gourmet meal, and enjoyed a jazz band.
Day 2: Sea Day Enjoyed Bingo, a vocal workshop, horse racing, and casino games. Dressed up for “Celebration Night” with a special dinner and karaoke.
Day 3: Stavanger Explored Stavanger, including the Three Swords in the Stone, the Old Town, and a museum. Enjoyed a spa treatment and casino games.
Day 4: Olden Took a Fjord Wonders Cruise, enjoyed the scenery, and learned about taxidermy. Enjoyed the Olden send-off from the ship and a quiz and live music.
Day 5: Alesund Explored Alesund’s Sea Life Centre, shops, and discovered a cruise duck. Enjoyed a two-hour spa session in the Thermal Suite and saw “The Greatest Days” musical.
Day 6: Haugesund Visited the Rising Tides Horses statues and explored Haugesund‘s shops. Watched “Wicked!” on the big screen and enjoyed dinner and live music.
Day 7: Sea Day Played Bingo, enjoyed a vocal workshop, and visited the Gin Distillery. Packed, enjoyed a final dinner, and listened to the Jazz Band.
Day 8: Disembarkation Disembarked Iona, enjoyed a final breakfast, and travelled home, adding magnets to the collection and unpacking. All before visiting family and sharing the fun we had on our first ever cruise and first holiday out of the Country.
We thank Mae for the time spent wrting the journal of her fabulous cruise. But it doesn’t end there.
Since returning home, Mae has joined a local Women’s Freemasons Lodge, and has completed her Second Degree. Congratulations to Mae on this achievement.
Women Freemasons have been meeting across the country for more than 100 years.
There are two female-only Grand Lodges: The Order of Women Freemasons and the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons (Freemasonry for Women). They both follow exactly the same ceremonies and wear the same regalia as male Freemasons, and they often work closely with community and charity projects. For more information, visit their websites, shown below.
https://www.owf.org.uk/ The order of Women Freemasons
https://hfaf.org/ the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons